“Torn up“ (2019) When I painted this self-portrait, my cheeks had been swollen and sore for a few days due to food allergies. My teeth were digging into my cheeks and whenever I closed my mouth I bit into them. They felt raw and painful so when I decided to paint a self portrait that day, I couldn’t paint it as if I was fine. This painting shows that I am looking past the pain and concentrating on the future, where I will reclaim my health. Pixel dimensions: 5473 x 6961px Artist: Kayleigh Esplin